Rijen, March 2, 2008 - Men 3300 metres

Dutch middle distance runners had to run 5000 or more metres in a dozen or so cross country nationals until 2006. In the winter of 2007-2008, they demanded a very much shorter distance, and that is what they got in Wageningen 2007: only 2500 metres. This turned out just a little bit too short. When a crowd of one hundred milers and half milers starts in one race, most courses are much too narrow to warrant a smooth transportation of all participants. Many of them lost costful time in the first stage of the short race of 2007, and the course turned out too short to catch up. So the organization gave them an extra 800 metres. This still may not have been enough, once and for all because almost one hundred senior men (most of them born before 1989) showed up, an increase of roughly one third as compared with 2007.

We stood at a distance of more than 50 metres from the start, but it was still impossible to catch the entire pack in one clear shot. This is the right wing,

and this the left wing of the field. In this particular picture, we can see world class miler and half miler Gert-Jan Liefers on the extreme right. He is wearing the white and green outfit of his track club AV'34 Apeldoorn.

This picture of the left center of the hughe pack gives a sharper view of Liefers. He is wearing bib #419. He actually entered for the main race over 10,200 metres, and was assigned bib #9, but he switched to the 3300 metres in a later stage. A test in a road race over 15 kilometres proved, that he would be no match for the favorites in that event, being Michel Butter, Patrick Stitzinger, Sander Schutgens, and possibly Greg van Hest and Marco Gielen, who started training seriously rather late in the winter of 2007-2008. His coach and manager Simon Vroemen, European champion and record holder over 3000 metres steeple chase, did not want his protégé to go through this, and advised him to shift to the shorter event. Vroemen still rated defending champion Tom Wiggers higher, the man with orange shirt, white short, and bib #300, standing five positions right of Liefers.

This is the real center of the field, with another favorite for the gold, Guus (=August) Janssen (417). He is standing left of team mate Erik Sanders (329), a relative new-comer in this event.

So it took a while before we returned to the very right of the field. The man with the camera is playing a dangerous game by insisting on taking a very close picture of the official with the starting gun, with his back to the field that is standing less than 20 metres behind him.

This looks even more foolish: attempting a sprint towards the fence with a heavy outfit and load, cutting off dozens of middle distance specialists that certainly have a long headstart on him in training and talent. Keep in mind that the water level in the grass is beyond its saturation point and therefore very slippery. The camera man is actually hindering several participants, physically or elsewhise, so the starter should have called the field back, and repeat the entire procedure without the camera man (who had his hot pictures already anyway). It is rather hypocrite to disqualify athletes for not wearing a proper outfit, and at the same time not caring about the safety or even odds of the participants.

The herd is at sprinting at full speed now, heading a 6-7 Beaufort wind coming frow the West. It looks as if some contestants are not wearing spikes, given the rather thick soles under their shoes, but they may well be the newest generation of cross country spikes, introduced after we bought our latest pair of XC spikes, in 2006.

Two younger 800 metres runners, Tjerk Conijn (304), and Sander Steyvers (332) lead the pack in the very early stage.

Gertjan Liefers (419) has sustained the most crucial part of the race, and is already preparing to make his move.

Thom Heijnen (372) is fighting shoulder to shoulder with Liefers and two other yougsters, Ries van Zon (351) and Marcel Wouters (353). Heijnen passed the qualification standards for the 800 metres of the EYOF in Belgrade in 2007, but had to give way to Bilal Anrar of OSS/Volo in Den Bosch ("Duke's Forest"), who ran the fastests times of all Dutch athletes of 1990-1991 in 2007.

The race is about 1200 metres old now, and Conijn is still trying to stay in the slipstream of Liefers, ahead of Janssen and Wiggers, two more tough to beat opponents in this event. Conijn obviously came to Rijen to take a master class at his own cost, for he lost 1.15 minutes and 25 positions in the rest of the race.

The course looks impassable, as if horses have had their race earlier that Sunday, but in real, the foot-marks are 100% human. Liefers is taking the leading group across the first hill of the course, at an open point where the runners are on their own with the elements.

Wouters is paying his toll for his high pace over a too long part of the race already, limiting the overall damage to 1.02 minutes. Right behind him is Johan de Koning (407), a former national champion over 1500 metres.

René Stovis (312), Ronald Bassa (371), and Gijs (= Gisbert) Jacobs (345), the elder brother of (Char-) Lotte Jacobs, who is defending the colors of Louisville, Kentucky since August 2007. In the background we see Roy van Son (411) struggling through the mud.

Gijs Peters (326), Abraham van Buggenum (397), and Tijs (= Matthew) Groen (301) try to stick with Jacobs for a good classification.

Michiel Hulleman (314) and Wouter (= Walter) de Boer (306) of Tion, an 800 metres prospect from Enschede.

With one lap of 1100 metres left, Liefers seems to have created a decisive gap behind him. After the race, he told that he had made an error, and started his kick a lap too soon. He does not look that tired though.

Janssen is showing more fatigue, but that may be caused by the gigantic psychological advantage of the world class potential, that even an out-of-shape Liefers still radiates.

Wiggers looks as if he has contented himself with the bronze already, knowing that Liefers and Janssen are too strong for him under normal conditions, but what is normal under these conditions?

Bassa and De Koning have already taken their final positions, but with one third of the race, there is no time to get tired or to retire.

Jacobs and Stokvis are closing in on Groen. René Stokvis probably is the son of Henny Stokvis, who ran a manually timed 14.11.8 over 5000 metres back in 1974. Like the father, like the son...

Liefers has surmounted the last physical barrier of the course, but is now heading for the mental fight of the fatigue, caused by his early kick one lap ago.

Janssen is running out of gas too, but the struggle of Liefers in the final stage gives him new fuel "in the air".

As a world class competitor, Liefers has been up to stiffer propositions, so he finds his way through his last difficulties.

Liefers, who is certain of the gold now, still looks less tired than he is about to tell the press. If he really has some doubts or fear, this would be the time to show them.

Janssen certainly does not look less tired than Liefers, but is happy with the silver medal.

Wiggers does not look like a dead man either, and takes pride in bronze after abdicating from the throne he took in Wageningen 53 weeks earlier.

Sanders has outkicked two fellow men from the East for sixth, and is very happy with it.

Rob Detert Oude Weme (374) keeps Marijn van der Putten (348) out of the prestigious first decade, but can hardly be happy with his ranking.

De Boer finishes twelfth, just ahead of Michiel de Ruiter (313), who may be a very distant descendant of a famous admiral. Falco de Heus (357) ttakes fourteenth, obscured for at least 95% by De Ruiter.

Peters and Wouters are not giving a party either for taking ranks 18 and 19... The men with #331 is Werner Wessels. He is about to collect place 20.

Hulleman comes in 21st, just ahead of Jan Roos (= Rose) of Tartlétos, one of the hosting clubs at the nationals of 2007 in Wageningen.

		Men 3300 metres
1	419	Gert-Jan Liefers	1978	AV'34	10.29
2	417	Guus Janssen	1981	Nijmegen Atletiek	10.32
3	300	Tom Wiggers	1987	AV Castricum	10.35
4	371	Ronald Bassa	1975	Prins Hendrik	10.51
5	407	Johan de Koning	1974	Sprint	10.53
6	329	Erik Sanders	1984	Nijmegen Atletiek	10.55
7	312	René Stokvis	1987	TION	10.55
8	301	Tijs Groen	1985	De Liemers	11.03
9	345	Gijs Jacobs	1987	HAC	11.03
10	374	Rob Detert Oude Weme	1978	AAC	11.11
11	348	Marijn vd Putten	1975	Haarlemmermeer	11.12
12	306	Wouter de Boer	1981	TION	11.14
13	313	Michiel de Ruiter	1986	Hera	11.14
14	357	Fulco de Heus	1979	AV'23	11.15
15	411	Roy van Son	1975	Sprint	11.18
16	311	Erik Niemeijer	1979	Sprint	11.22
17	408	Jeroen Maas	1982	Sprint	11.24
18	326	Gijs Peters	1985	Attila	11.29
19	353	Marcel Wouters	1986	Nijmegen Atletiek	11.31
20	331	Werner Wessels	1986	AV Rijssen	11.33
21	314	Michiel Hulleman	1981	Phanos	11.35
22	310	Jan Roos	1986	Tartlétos	11.38
23	323	Jeroen Zeinstra	1975	Prins Hendrik	11.40
24	418	Sven Ros	1990	Rotterdam Atletiek	11.43
25	356	Wouter Jansen	1987	Attila	11.44
26	302	Casper Dirks	1973	Phanos	11.44
27	304	Tjerk Conijn	1987	Lycurgus	11.46
28	366	Sven Grundeken	1979	Leiden Atletiek	11.46
29	413	Seran Nijkamp	1982	Veluwe	11.47
30	384	Mark Buiks	1985	Loopteam Ed Sligcher	11.47
31	361	Michel van de Wall	1979	Pegasus	11.48
32	308	Dave Klink	1984	Leiden Atletiek	11.48
33	352	Christiaan Bosselaar	1982	KAV Holland	11.49
34	305	Erwin Meijer	1984	Climax	11.50
35	406	Joep Dekkers	1976	Sprint	11.50
36	369	Ron Szigetti	1987	Attila	11.51
37	373	Marcel Kuijntjes	1983	De Liemers	11.52
38	370	Vincent Anker	1984	Leiden Atletiek	11.52
39	401	Jelle Kemper	1988	Prins Hendrik	11.52
40	307	David Bronsveld	1980	Leiden Atletiek	11.58
41	309	Roel van Opdorp	1987	Leiden Atletiek	12.01
42	322	Jordy Smilde	1986	Attila	12.01
43	355	Jelle Kok	2007	Phanos	12.02
44	350	Mathias Meijer	1987	Climax	12.05
45	325	Bas Gevaert	1980	AV Haarlem	12.06
46	334	Arnout Salomé	1979	Prins Hendrik	12.06
47	398	Ronald Droppert	1988	AV'40	12.09
48	346	Sam Krop	1983	Asterix	12.10
49	354	Marcel de Jong	1986	AKU	12.12
50	364	Dennis van Esch	1986	GAC Gemert	12.12
51	338	Bart Wamelink	1988	Trias	12.13
52	363	Paul Dekkers	1984	GAC Gemert	12.15
53	343	Pascal Noort	1983	Leiden Atletiek	12.16
54	320	Andre Diemeer	1983	Lycurgus	12.17
55	316	Werner Gentle	1986	Lopersgroep Deurne	12.18
56	390	Michiel Molevelt	1973	Leiden Atletiek	12.22
57	360	Jan-Willem Testerink	1982	Leiden Atletiek	12.22
58	414	Jacques Wouda	1962	Nijmegen Atletiek	12.23
59	410	Stijn Peeters	1988	Sprint	12.23
60	393	Rik Minkjan	1986	ACO Van Elderen	12.25
61	400	Martijn Arnoldussen	1982	Achilles-Top	12.25
62	349	Guus Reijngoud	1988	Hellas	12.26
63	378	Remco Beckers	1980	Asterix	12.28
64	333	Evert van Nigtevecht	1981	Sprint	12.33
65	332	Sander Steijvers	1984	AV Weert	12.36
66	362	Maarten Haegens	1978	Pijnenburg	12.39
67	403	Marco Vermond	1986	Prins Hendrik	12.40
68	317	Remco Hoetmer	1970	AV'23	12.41
69	386	Alfred Rekers	1965	PEC 1910	12.41
70	321	Jan-Joris van de Riet	1980	Road Runners Etten-L	12.42
71	339	Christiaan van Os	1986	Suomi	12.42
72	358	Stijn Hoogwout	1990	Groningen Atletiek	12.44
73	415	Tim van Wechem	1988	Phanos	12.46
74	412	Niels Ros	1986	Rotterdam Atletiek	12.46
75	368	Jack van der Walle	1982	Suomi	12.47
76	376	Ernst Hulsman	1970	PEC 1910	12.49
77	359	Florian Lichtendonk	1984	Hellas	12.51
78		Leon van Hamersveld	1988	AV Nijkerk	12.52
79	327	Gerdjan Kipping	1967	Atledo	12.58
80	372	Thom Heijnen	1990	Unitas	13.00
81	330	Jelle Hanswijk	1987	Climax	13.00
82	347	Paul Könings	1987	Unitas	13.10
83	404	Bart van den Brule	1980	Sprint	13.15
84	379	Maikel Stolwijk	1983	Leiden Atletiek	13.19
85	395	Wilko Zuidema	1989	Olympus'70	13.19
86	383	Wilco Steenwijk	1980	PEC 1910	13.23
87	391	Simon Nijland	1988	AV Haarlem	13.26
88	416	Jeroen Simons	1991	Attila	13.39
89	341	Olof Woltil	1982	Vitalis	14.11
90	315	Hoss Wilstra	1966	Lopersgroep Deurne	16.48